Box Score UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (October 5, 2025) — The King's College men's soccer team faced a unique opportunity on Sunday afternoon — a matchup with Division I Penn State University, marking the first time in program history the team has competed against a Division I opponent. The Monarchs fell 7-1 in the contest, dropping to 2-6-4 on the season while the Nittany Lions now stand at 5-4-2 in 2025.

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, Penn State broke through in the 23rd minute and added a second goal in the 38th to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. Ben Van Valkenburg and Shane Hughes split time in goal during the opening half, with Hughes recording a pair of saves.

King's responded early in the second half, getting on the board in the 54th minute when Matt Maraia scored his first collegiate goal, finishing off a pass from Evan Egnatovich, who recorded his second assist of the season, to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Penn State answered less than two minutes later and pulled away with five second-half goals.

King's managed only one total shot on goal compared to Penn State's 18, and the Monarchs committed just one foul while the Nittany Lions recorded five fouls. The difference in possession and shot volume ultimately dictated the flow of the game.

In the second half, Mateo Chavez Paz and Ethan Keppler shared time in goal, combining for seven saves. Chavez Paz finished with a team-high four saves in just under 26 minutes of play, while Keppler added three saves over the final 20 minutes.

From a team stats perspective, King's finished with just two total shots and one on goal, while Penn State outshot the Monarchs 31-2, including 18 on target. King's had 1 assist and 1 goal, with 7 fouls committed versus Penn State's 5, and both teams recorded no yellow cards. The Monarchs played with solid discipline but struggled to generate consistent offensive pressure against a solid Big-Ten backline.

King's men's soccer returns to MAC Freedom action on Saturday, October 11, traveling to Madison, NJ to take on FDU-Florham at 3:00 PM.